Killswitch Engage Vocalist Jesse Leach Talks New Album

Killswitch Engage, which is currently embarked on the Trespass America tour with Five Finger Death Punch, Trivium, and more, is now performing a new song titled "No End in Sight" during the band's set. Roadrunner Records got in contact with newly returned frontman Jesse Leach to discuss the tour and the upcoming Killswitch Engage album. Excerpts from the interview follow:

Roadrunner: So what can you say about the next record at this point?

I’ve got a couple of songs done, I’ve got a bunch to go, but I’ve got a lot of ideas. I listen to it every once in a while out here just to keep me familiar with it, so when I get home and attempt to finish the record, it’s still fairly fresh in my mind. Sonically, this is definitely – it’s got a more urgent feeling to it. It’s a lot faster, there’s definitely huge melody going on, but the songs are a lot shorter. Not one song really goes over the three and a half, four minute mark. I just anticipate lyrically and vocally it to be a very urgent record. We’re at a state in this world right now where someone needs to talk about what’s going on. There’s a lot of apathy in this world, there’s a lot of really screwed-up stuff in our government and the world’s governments, and the whole class vs. class thing, the protests that happened all around the United States – there’s a lot of unrest, and I think it kinda needs to be touched upon. And it’s up to the metal community to have a voice, and that’s what I’m aiming to do with this next record – make it very important. Make it matter.

Roadrunner: Given that you’ve been out of the band for 10 years – obviously they’ve welcomed you back, but is everybody on the same page regarding what the songs will be about? Are you running the lyrics past them as you go?

Oh, yeah, this band is a total democracy, which is great. Coming back into it, the guys basically said, “Do what you wanna do – we trust you,” but I like to show them my progress, so I send them demos, I’ll show them my lyrics and concepts for the songs. And so far, every single person’s been really excited about my ideas, and probably just the energy that I’m bringing to the project.

I haven't listened to anything from these guys since "The End of Heartache" and the remastered debut album.

I was actually pretty happy with Howard Jones' vocals on "Heartache" but what little I've heard from the albums post-"Heartache" lacked that KSE snarl and to use Leache's word "urgency". Those early albums were great and if someone can convince me, I might give the other Jones records a try.

I will likely pick up the new one. It is Jesse-fvckin'-Leach with Adam D.